As college football season gets ready to kick off, Ohio State is staring down a challenging road ahead. The Buckeyes open their campaign on August 30 with a high-stakes rematch against Texas, a team hungry to bounce back. That’s just the start; road games against Washington and Wisconsin, plus a tough Penn State matchup at home, promise a grind of a schedule. With Julian Sayin taking over as the starting quarterback, the offense will be under the microscope right from Day 1. It’s clear OSU’s journey to defend its title won’t be easy.

Even with all that pressure on the new QB, it’s Jeremiah Smith, the best player in college football right now—who fully feels the weight of expectations to go back-to-back as national champions. Success hasn’t made the pressure disappear; if anything, it’s sharpened the focus for Smith and his teammates. The intensity in the locker room is real, and Smith knows everyone expects Ohio State to repeat, pushing them to rise to the challenge.

Smith candidly summed up the feeling on The Triple Option podcast,  when asked about the pressure, saying, “I think a little bit. I feel like everybody thinks we need to go back-to-back. But that’s something that’s on our mind as well.” It’s an expectation that the team embraces, pushing them to be even better. But you don’t win championships twice in a row on wishful thinking. It takes grit, focus, and a relentless drive that Smith and his teammates are fully aware of. He added, “I think we want to be the first team to ever do that in the Big Ten. It hasn’t been done since, I think, the 1960s. I think the last team that did was Michigan State. So, I feel like it’s very pressure that we’re trying to go back-to-back.” Michigan State was the last one to win back-to-back in the Big 10 with co-wins in 1965 and 1966. So, Ohio State has to fight history itself and do something that hasn’t been done in the last 60 years.

And there’s good reason for confidence, too. Smith is also excited about what’s around him. With Julian Sayin’s talent at quarterback, the pressure can ease a bit. Plus, Smith’s wide receiver room is deeper and more dynamic than last year’s. He said, “I feel like this year they’re going to shock a lot of people, especially Carnell (Tate). I mean, that guy there, he could do any and everything that you ask him to do. Very smooth right runner, could block, could do it all. Brandon (Inniss) the same way. He got that dog in him. So I feel like this year, I mean, our room is very special.” That combination of skill and depth hopefully creates an offense that’s built to handle a tough schedule and the pressure of expectations.

At the end of the day, Ohio State’s 2025 season will be about proving that they can be great not just once, but consistently. With Jeremiah Smith leading the charge and a confident, skilled supporting cast, the Buckeyes have all the ingredients to meet the pressure head-on and remind everyone why they’re a powerhouse. It’s going to be a season full of grit, talent, and heart, and OSU’s ready to show the college football world what back-to-back champions really look like.

More than just back-to-back

The pressure on Ohio State this season is not limited to trying to win back-to-back championships. There’s something else hanging over this team. And that’s trying to break Michigan’s recent streak against them. Michigan has beaten OSU four times in a row now, which is something the Buckeyes aren’t used to. So beyond the national title chase, they’re fired up to settle the score and get that rivalry back under control.

Jeremiah Smith didn’t hold back when talking about Michigan. When asked about “the team up north,” he said, straight up, “Hate them with everything in me.” And that feeling didn’t just pop up out of nowhere. He told a story about his recruiting visit He said, “I learned that in high school recruiting [when I] first came in, I think I made a mistake, and I was wearing like dark blue, and it was coach Heartline and Coach Keenan Bailey, and they was like, ‘You can’t wear them colors here.’ Uh, and then from that day four, I was like, “Okay, yeah, it’s it’s real.” That moment kicked off a serious chip on his shoulder and a deep motivation to beat Michigan.

Heading into this season, you can tell the team is feeding off that energy. Yeah, they want to defend their title, but they also really want to snap that losing streak against Michigan. It adds a whole different level of fire and focus to their season. With guys like Jeremiah Smith leading the way, Ohio State looks ready to bring that pressure, that passion, and a whole lot of fight to the field this year.